James stovell



(N0 Model.)

J. STOVELL.

BUCKLE.

No. 480,217. Patented Aug. 2, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES STOVELL, OF \VATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE VATER- BURYBUCKLE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,217, dated August2, 1892.

Application filed July 23, 1891. Serial No. 400,416. (No model.)

T on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES STOVELL, of Waterbury, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new Improvement inBuckles; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connectionwith accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon,to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the same, and which said [O drawings constitutepart of this specification,

and represent, in

Figure 1, a front view of the buckle; Fig. 2, an edge view of the same;Fig. 3, a vertical central section of the same; Fig. 4, the frame withthe lever detached; Fig. 5, a transverse section on line 00 a: of Fig.4, looking downward; Fig. 6, the lever detached; Fig. 7, a modification.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of buckles whichare designed especially for suspenders, and particularly to buckles ofthis class which are made from Wire and in which a clamping-lever ishung in the frame so as to swing backward and forward to correspondinglyrelease or produce the clamping effect upon the suspender, the object ofthe invention being principally to provide a locking device to hold theclamping-lever in the closed position, but from 0 which it may bereadily disengaged as occasion requires; and the invention consists inthe construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited inthe claims.

The frame of the buckle, made from a single piece of wire, consists ofan upper side A and a lower side B, connected by ends 0 O, the wirebeing bent into the required shape to produce these sides and ends.

The two ends are connected by a clampingbar D, usually made from sheetmetal, this bar beingarranged so that the suspender, being in troducedfrom one side of the frame over the bar, may be passed down across thebar and through the frame below and so as to rest upon the clamping-bar,that the clamping device upon the other side of the suspender may engagethe suspender upon the said bar.

E represents a lever, which is hung to the upper bar A of the frame. Ashere represented the frame is constructed with an open space a betweenthe two ends I) Z) of the wire which forms the upper bar A, as seen inFig. 4. The lever E is also made from wire and as here represented isconstructed to form the hook F, by which the Suspender-ends may beattached to the buckle. The lever is formed by doubling the wire, asseen in Fig. 6, and bend ing the doubled end to form the hook F. The twobranches extend upward and are then turned to the right and left, as atd d, Fig. 6, and then turned downward to form prongs e e. The length ofthe branches (1 (1 corresponds to the distance between the two ends 12 bof the upper side so that this lever part may be set between the twoends, as represented in broken lines, Fig. 4, and then a sleeve f,closed around the upper side and the parts cl d of the branches, securesthe lever to the upper bar of the buckle and forms ahinge upon which thelever may swing, the lever extend- 7o ing down below the lower bar ofthe frame.

The points of the prongs e e are turned backward toward the clamping-barD, and the bar D is constructed with corresponding holes 9, so that asthe lever is turned forcibly downward upon the Suspender passing betweenthe bar D and the said prongs the points of the prongs will be forcedinto the suspender so as to securely engage it against the bar D; butfor this clamping or engaging device other known clamping devices may besubstituted.

To secure the lever in the down or clamping position, the lower side ofthe frame is bent backward at the center, so as to leave an opening itthrough the side B somewhat narrower than the width of the lever E, andto give elasticity to this side of the frame, so that it may yield topermit the lever to pass through the contracted opening 72, a loop i isformed in the part B, extending backward from the opening h. Thisloop-like formation of the side B gives a length of metalsufficient topermit the elasticity necessarv for the entrance of the lever throughthe openingh and into the loop at the rear, and as indicated in Fig. 5.This spring-opening It forms a clasp, which will so engage the lever inits down position that it will firmly hold its clamp upon the suspender,but yet so that I00 the lever may be drawn forward by applyingsufficient force thereto when readjustment of the suspender is required.

In some buckles of this class the hook is formed as a part of the frame.In such case it may extend down from the loop, as indi cated in brokenlines, Fig. 4, and thus be made independent of the lever; but the leverwill still be interlocked with the frame in the same manner as beforedescribed, irrespective of whether the hook be formed as a part of thelever or apart of the frame or whether the hook be dispensed withaltogether, as in some cases.

\Vhile I prefer to make the bendin the bar or side to form theinterlocking opening or recess backward and in the form of a loop, as Ihave described, the bends may be made forward, as seen in Fig. 7,forming substantially the same opening with which the lever mayinterlock as first described. The invention is therefore not to beunderstood as limited to any particular formation of the interlockingopening for the lever, it only being essential to the invention that thelocking-recess and opening into it shall be in a plane at substantiallyright angles to the plane of the lever which is to engage with it.

I do not wish to be understood as claiming, broadly, a buckle having atongue hinged thereto and the side of the frame upon which the tonguerests provided with an elastic holder into the grasp of which the tonguemay be pressed, so as to secure the tongue in the closed position, assuch, I am aware, is not new.

I claim-- 1. In a buckle, the combination of aframe made from wire witha lever hung in said frame and adapted to swing backward and forward asa means for engaging the strap passing through the frame, the said leverextending across and beyond the side of the frame opposite its hinge,the said opposite side of the frame bent backward at its center andforming an open elastic loop, the plane of the bend to form the loopbeing at right angles to the plane of the frame, and the loop of greaterwidth than the width of the lever, but the openinginto the said loopsomewhat narrower than the width of the lever, said loop being anintegral part of the frame, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

2. In a buckle, the combination of aframe made from wire, composed oftwo sides A B,

a connected by ends 0 C, a lever E, also made from wire doubled, thedoubled end bent to 1 form the hook F, the two branches above turned tothe right and left, the ends of the l branches returned substantiallyparallel with the lever and so as to form prongs e e, the lever hung tothe side A of the frame as a Y hinge upon which the lever may swing, the

other side B of the frame bent backward to form an opening it, and aloop iin rear of said opening h, the said opening it corresponding inposition to the lever, but somewhat narrower than the width of thelever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JAMES STOVELL.

Witnesses:

G. E. MINTIE, H. L. SLAUsoN.

